Fwd: A plant disease question and aspirin

[Adam Fikso]

Hello Tom and others.  Re aspirin:  I became aware of this obscuree research
a few years ago trying to find a remedy for Erwinia carotovora.   I
summarized it in  a short article kin the Yearbook of the Aril Society
International 1997, pp 10-20.  Since the Yearbook is sort of obscure , and
deals only with oncocyclyus hybrids and their hybrids and goes to a small
group about the size of this one, I don't think it's easily available.  I'd
download it to you if I knew how.  However, failing that,I'll first state
that the only rigorous research is in vitro --but, yes, it's real.  An entry
to the area is provided in the following articles:

Chester, K. S. 1933.  "The Problem of Acquired Physiological Immunity in
Plants.  Q. Rev. Biol., 8: 275-324.

Gaffney, T., Friedrich, et al, 1993.  "Requirement of Salicylic Acid for the
Induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance".  Science, 261:  754-756.

Palva, Tuula K., Hurtig, Maria, et al,. 1994.  "Salicylic Acid Induced
Resistance to Erwinia carotovora, subsp. carotovora in Tobacco. "Molecular
Plant Microbe Interactions " (MPMI)  V. 7, No. 3, 356-363.

Uknes, S., Winter, A. M., et al 1993.  "Buiological Induction of Systemic
Acquired Resistance in Arabidopsis"  MPMI V. 6, No. 6, 692-698

White, R. F., 1979.  "Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) Induces
Resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Tobacco.". Virology. 99, 410-412.

To summarize the high points, aspirin in concentrations as low as .001M
results in
induction of resistance to a number of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi)
to a degree that is thousands (!) of times the usual response of a plant to
an invading pathogen.  The research was mostly with small pieces of
Arabidopsis, but not exclusively, some of the pieces being trom transgenetic
host plants.


My article tried to summarize  the 20-30 years of research and make it
palatable to non-scientific readers.  I indicated that used a soil drench of
two 325 mg. tabs of aspirin to a gallon of water, (this was my SWAG)
estimate of concentrations that I thought would be similar to what might be
useful to the plant , if just poured on, to be taken up by the roots.  It's
cheap, it does no harm, it's ecologically safe ,and I think I"ve saved a few
irises.   For tough cases, (where there are no roots) I scoop out the
obvious rot from the rhizome, and give it a 15 min. soak in the aspirin
solution , lay it out in the sun and leave it to see whether there is enough
healthy tissue (not invaded by rot) to survive. I did try the drench on a
rotting A. dahaiense, where half the tuber was gone, and half had live
roots.   I don't think I'll know the results for a while.  I should probably
open it up to the air,more,because the roots on the bottom of the tuber are
in soil.

I am glad to see that Tom inquired about this.  I'd like to see some
controlled or at least annotated reports on whether this works with Uromyces
ari-triphylli.  The data reported in the archives (Thank you Ray!) does seem
to be self-contradictory, and carries the implication that infections may
not be systemic, or, may not go through sexual tissues of the plant, as
indicated by the Rogosz article.  (Seeds are not infected.)   This reistance
of certain tissues to infection seems characteristic for certain virus
infections which can be  gotten  out of plants by developing clean breeding
lines, and making sure they are not reinfected., or sometimes by tissue
culture, using meristematic tissue that is resistant to viruses.

Enough!  Adam Fikso in Glenview, IL













----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas E. Jacobs" <tejacobs at ATT.NET>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 12:15 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: A plant disease question


> <<The Arisaema rust is covered in detail in the Arisaema-L Archives
> <http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/arisaema-l.html>. Just search on
> "rust".
> The organism is identified and some suggestions on how to deal with it are
> made.
>
> Ray>>
>
> I just got depressed digging out some rust-infected triphyllum and one
> sikokianum so got ambitious for a change and decided to sort of compile
the
> bits and pieces of info on rust back to item #000877 (dated 98/01/19) in
the
> archives. There is conflicting info but this is the price of biology and I
> guess its principals don't have the time or money for all the properly
> controlled studies they might like to do.
>
> Arisaema rust is Uromyces ari-triphylli and is widespread in Canada and
the
> US. Our members report it on (at least) triphyllum, dracontium, ringens,
and
> sikokianum. A reference by one Pascal Pirone says that it is systemic but
> does not affect roots or corms. (This seems to me to be a conflict).
>
> Dr. Jack Parmelee ( an honorary research associate in the Biological
> Resource Program for the Eastern Cereal & Oilseeds Research Centre,
Canada)
> http://listserv.surfnet.nl/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9801&L=arisaema-l&P=R1311
> says that the rust is "autoecious" (spending its entire life cycle on one
> host), and that there is no alternate host involved. He says that the
spores
> are borne aerially and that an uninfected population would not be safe 500
> feet away from an infected population. He recommends removing and
destroying
> the entire plant, corms and all. He says it is known to affect Arisaema
and
> Pelandra.
>
> Some of our members also recommend destroying the entire plant. But there
> are other members that say that when they destroy just the top vegetation,
> the plant comes up the next year just fine.
>
> Other than these extreme measures, members have suggested treatment with
> Daconil, Captan and acetylsalicylic acid(?) Adam Fikso: aspirin? Is this
for
> real? Why do you suggest aspirin?
>
> Tom Jacobs
> Poughkeepsie, NY
> Zone 5-6